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Beautiful Kyrgyzstan.

A few reasons to root for a Kyrgyzstan free of political tyranny (click images to see larger versions, courtesy of TrekEarth):

The future of Kyrgyzstan:

Suusamir valley:

Manas, the Kyrgyz folk hero, in Bishkek:

Lake Issuk-Kul:

Naan, or lepyoshka, a type of bread:

A mountain named after Lenin:

Dzierzynski Peak:

Some beautiful souvenirs:

Yurts:

Market, in Osh:

River of wool, or Kyrgyz traffic jam:

Drusba Park:

A beautiful place.

Meanwhile, here is the latest:

The Moscow Times (via Registan) believes "now the time is ripe for revolutions." But which country is next?

An editorial in The Washington Post explains:

...neighbors such as China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aren't likely to welcome the creation of a genuine democracy in Central Asia.

Yet if its revolution ends in pluralism, tiny Kyrgyzstan could have a crucial influence on the half-dozen other former Soviet republics where autocrats still rule. At a minimum, surviving dictators may conclude that the old trick of staging a rigged election is no longer safe.

Some would say that democracy can only flourish in rich countries, or in countries with Judeo-Christian roots, or in countries with English-speaking people, or in countries with highly urbanized populations. Some of those factors certainly might make transitions to democracy easier, but their absence in no way precludes freedom from taking root.

Similarly, some believe that free enterprise systems, based on true market capitalism, free of cronyism and corruption, can only emerge in certain types of countries, with certain types of people.

They are wrong.

Don't expect Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson, reincarnated, in Bishkek or Chivhu, debating the nature of freedom and tyranny, crafting a compromise to last the ages, but do expect profound and meaningful steps forward.

If we expect any less, if we do not support those nascent democratic movements around the globe, it would sell the sincere forces of democracy short.

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 March 2005 05:00 AM

Comments

Posted by: Zsa ZSa at March 29, 2005 06:28 AM